The members of Second Congregational support Operation Christmas Child (OCC), an organization that collects shoebox gifts – filled with fun toys, school supplies, and personal care items—and delivers them to children in need around the world to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way. For many of these children, the gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 220 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 170 countries and territories. In 2024, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach another 12 million children. 

ETERNAL IMPACT

When the children are gathered to receive their shoeboxes, local Christians are there who have been trained and equipped to share the good news of Jesus Christ in a child-friendly way. Along with the shoebox gift, each child is given a booklet called The Greatest Gift, which shares Scripture passages and the message of salvation that Jesus is God’s Greatest Gift.

An invitation is then extended to the children and their families to attend other gatherings, where millions of shoebox recipients participate in OCC’s discipleship program, The Greatest Journey. During a series of classes, participants learn to follow Jesus and tell others about Him. At a graduation ceremony, the children receive a certificate and a colorfully-illustrated New Testament in their own language. 

Through this outreach, more than 20.3 million participants (children and adults) have made decisions for Christ.

Operation Christmas Child is an outreach of Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization that provides aid to people in physical need as a key part of its Christian missionary work. The organization’s president is Franklin Graham, son of Christian evangelist Billy Graham.